POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — The Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Haines City Police Department are mourning the loss of retired K-9 Halas, who “faithfully served this county at two different agencies.”
“We are so sad today to tell you that one of our K-9 heroes, Halas, who well and faithfully served this county at two different agencies has crossed the Rainbow Bridge,” a Facebook post from the two agencies said.
K-9 Halas began his career with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in 2011 as an 11-month-old puppy.
There, he was partnered with Deputy Sheriff Jennifer Davis until she was promoted to Sergeant in 2015. Halas then became Deputy Sheriff Robert Bryant’s partner until he took Halas with him to the Haines City Police Department in 2018.
Halas finally retired in 2020 at the age of 12.
The agencies said Halas was a dual-purpose German Shepherd who worked in narcotics detection and apprehension.
“He was a phenomenal tracking machine,” Robert Bryant said, “We were shot at, had knives pulled on us, and on several occasions, bad guys tried to drown him. But we always came out on top.”